Work-releasing device for lathes



. Jan. 29, 1929..

J. J. THACHER WORK RELEASING DEVICE FOR LATHES Filed July 5, 1924 SATES ATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. TEACHER, OF VJETHERSEIELD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO PRATT & WHIT- HEY COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

WORK-RELEASING DEVICE FOR LATHES.

Application filed July 5,

This invention relates to improven'ients in lathes and particularly to improvements adapted for application to an automatic lat-he operating upon work rotatably held between centers.

More particularly, the invention relates to a device for facilitating releasing the work from the tool after operations thereon have been completed.

One feature of importance is that means are provided for quickly moving the tool axially in a direction reverse to its direction of feed soon as it has finished operation upon the blank so that the point of the cutting tool will be released from the work.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spring pressed plunger adjacent one of the members for actuating the tool so that this member and parts attached thereto will be moved a short distance axially of the blank simultaneously with the completion of operations and simultaneously with the releasing of the driving chuck and the tailstock retaining member.

In automatic lathes in which the work blanks are transferred to operative position,

retained between centers in their operative position. automatically rotated on the centers, and cutting means acting thereon are automatically actuated, the work blank is frequently retained in its operative position when the chuck holding the blank releases and the tailstock plunger is withdrawn. This is caused by the point of the cutting tool being embedded in the work blank at the time the chuck and tailstock plunger are disengaged. This interferes with the proper transferring of another blank into operative position s that means are required to assure the work being released so that it may be allowed to fall freely from its operative position. For this purpose, it has been found advantageous to quickly move the tool reaiwardly in direction parallel to the work blank so that the tool is released from the blank and particularly from under the chip in which it may be embedded. Moving the tool inthis direction does not interfere with any ad justments ,of the tool.

In order to give the tool this rearward movement and to permit a simple mechanism to accomplish this retractingmovement quickly, I provide a spring pressed plunger so mounted that in any adjustment of the tool or tool carriage for any length of feed 1924. Serial No. 724,305.

ing movement or diameter of work it will be properly located to release the tool from the blank as soon as the tool completes its operation and the work is about to be released from operative position.

W ith the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the features of construction and operation set forth in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

in the accompanying drawing annexed hereto and forming a part of this specification, I have shown my invention embodied in an automatic lathe of the type disclosed in my Patent- No. 1,507,265 granted September 2, 1924, but it will be understood that the invention can be otherwise embodied and that the drawing is not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims appended to this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

. In the drawing:

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of an automatic lathe having my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a detail View upon an enlarged scale showing the spring pressed plunger for actuating the tool carriage in its reverse direction to disengage the tool from the work, and

Fig.3 is an end view of the parts shown in Fig. 2.

In the above mentioned drawing, I have shown but one embodiment of the invention which is now deemed preferable, but it is to be understood that changes and modifications may be made withinthe scope ofthe appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

My invention is primarily designed for an automatic lathe having the following pri..-. cipal parts: a base 10, a headstock 11 and, headstock spindle 12, a tailstock 13 and auto matically actuated tailstock plunger 14, work transferring members 15, a chuck 16 for driving' the work when it is in its operative position, and tool feeding mechanism. Cam actuated means are provided for automatically actuating these members and means in timed relation to each other so that work W will be transferred to operative position, moved against a headstock center by movement of the tailstock plunger 14, the tailstock plunger 14; retained in operative position, and the Work W rotated by the automatic engagement ol the driving chuck L6. Adapted to be .aci'nated along the base in a direction parallel. to the work is a tool carriage 17, the one shown being similar to that described in my .copcnd ing application above mentioned. 7 In order to actuate this carriage 17 an l its tool, a slide 18 moving along a dove-tail projection 19 is reciprocated by cam strips 20 on a large cam drum 21 mounted on a cam shaft in the base of the machine.

The parts forming the novel elements 01" the invention are adapted to cooperate with. and engage a part moving' with the tool and carriage 17. A spring pressed plunger 25 mounted within a men'iber 26 preferably ilastened to the base 10 so that it will engage a collar on the rod 28 by which the tool carriage 17 is rcciprocated. Each time the tool carriage 17 is moved to and the left during the feeding operation, the collar 27 on the rod 28 will compress the spring; 29 and retract the plunger 25 until the can'i strip 20. by means oil which slide 18 reciprocated passes by the roller 30 on slide 1S. The slide 18 will then be forced quickly to the right by the spring 29 carrying with it the tool carriage 17 and tool.

By properly adjusting the position of collar 5 37 on the actuating rod 18 attached at one end to the tool carriage 17., the tool carriage 17 may be reciprocated by the slide 18. The slide 18 also may be reciprocated through a constant distance for any length oi feeding movement. F or any adjustn'ient of travel of the tool carriage 17 the collar 27 engaged by the spring pressed plunger 25 will always rcciprocate l'mtween, the san'ie points. Another collar on this rod is so placed that on return movement of he slide the carriage will be brought back to its original position.

Eiei'rurely ill-Sitllliil to the 'i ront vertical surface of the lathe base 10 is the member 26 havinn' the plunger E25) extending lhcrethrougzh. This plunge provided with a head E31 and. between the head 31 and portions of the member 26, the coiled spring! 529 is inscrled. Nuts on the outer end oi the plunger 25 limit the fomrard movement oi. the plunger.

The member is so positioned on the base 10 ot the lathe that the head 81 on the plunger 25 will be oinmr'cd by the adjnstable collar 27 on the operating rod 28 just prior to the completion oi. the cutting operation. (ontinued feeding imwmnento'li the cart; 10 will therefore cause the plunger J5 the chip being formed. It wi'll'therefore be seen that as'soon as the ta-1 stock spindle 1% is withdrawn and the chuck 16 released, the

work FF-l will be free to drop from operative position without interference occasioned by the work being held in position by its engage ment with the point, of the tool.

By reason of the spring 29 being free to actuate. the tool carriage 17 as soon as the am strip 20 passes by the roller 30, the tool carriage 17 may be moved while the work WV is still retained in its operative position by the tailstock spindle 1 1 and chuck 16. A second collar 33 on rod 28 serves to return the carriage 17 to its initial or starting position.

i hat I claim is:

1. A lathe comprising in combination, a base, work supporting and rotating means thereon. means to auton'iatically disengage a. work blank from said supporting and rotat inn means. a cutting;- tool, means to actuate said tool longitudinally ot the base during); its operation. and means positioned adjacent the end of movement oi a member formingpart of said means to actuate said tool to force said tool in a direction opposite to that in. which it is fed at the end of the feeding' iovement and when the work is being released. from said actuating means and from said supporting and rotating means.

2. A lathe comprising in combination, a base, work supporting and rotating;' means thereon, means to automatically disengage a vork blank from said supporting and rotating means, .a cutting took means to actuate said. tool d tiring its operation. and a resiliently pressed ph er positioned adjacent the end of movement oil. a member forming; part ot said means to actuate said tool. said plunger forcing; said tool in a direction onposite to that in which it is fed at the end oi? the feeding u'iovement and when the blank being released "from said actuating means and lron'i said supporting? a n d rotating means.

3. A lathe comprising in ('oilibinzttion. a l work smgporiin'g' and rotating means thereon. means to autoimitically feed a tool alone; the base while in engagement with a work blank. means to automatically disengage a work blank from. said supporting and rotating moans, means positioned adjacent the end oi" movement of member forming part oi said means to actuate said tool to resiliently force said tool at the d of its feedin JOHN J; TEACHER.

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